Chapter 1 The Cripple’s Shame

The music in the grand ballroom was loud, but it could not hide the laughter of the nobles. Hundreds of wealthy lords and ladies walked across the floor in their finest bright clothes, drinking expensive wine and talking about their vast lands.

In the darkest corner of the room sat nineteen-year-old Prince Kaelen Morvath. He was pale, dressed in simple clothes, and sat in a plain wooden wheelchair that squeaked whenever he moved.

A young servant walked past, carrying a tray of fresh fruits and cold water.

"Wait," Kaelen said, his voice soft and raspy. "Bring me a cup of water, please."

The servant stopped. He looked down at the squeaking wheelchair, turned his back, and walked toward a group of laughing ladies.

He did not give the prince a second glance. Kaelen did not yell. He simply tightened his grip on his cheap wooden cane until his knuckles turned white.

Nearby, two young noblewomen watched him from behind their fans.

"Why did the Emperor even let him come tonight?" one whispered.

"He is the shame of the royal family. A prince who cannot even stand up to greet his own father."

Kaelen heard every word. He kept his eyes fixed on the floor, his face blank and calm. Suddenly, the doors at the front of the ballroom swung open. The talking stopped, and the music grew softer.

Crown Prince Cedric Morvath walked into the room. He was twenty-five years old, tall, broad-shouldered, and had thick golden hair that shined under the lights. He wore a red coat with gold buttons, and a long sword hung at his waist. He looked like a true warrior, the perfect heir to the throne. Behind him walked a large group of young lords, all of them smiling and trying to stay close to the future king.

Cedric walked straight to the center of the room, greeting the older dukes with a loud, confident laugh. Everyone wanted to talk to him. Everyone wanted his favor.

After a few minutes, Cedric’s eyes scanned the room. His gaze passed over the beautiful decorations, the rich food, and finally stopped on the dark corner where Kaelen sat alone. A cruel smile crossed Cedric’s face.

"Come, gentlemen," Cedric said to the lords beside him. He lifted a silver cup filled with boiling hot red wine. "Let us go and greet my dearest little brother. It is a family celebration, after all. We should not leave him out."

The lords laughed, following close behind Cedric as he walked toward the corner. The squeak of Kaelen's wheelchair seemed to grow louder in his own ears as his brother approached.

"Well, well," Cedric said, stopping right in front of Kaelen. He looked down at him as if he were looking at a piece of dirt on his shoe. "Look who finally decided to join us. Kaelen, you look as pale as a corpse. Are the servants not feeding you well in your little room?"

Kaelen slowly raised his head. He forced a small smile onto his face. "Happy birthday to our father, brother. I only wanted to come and show my respect."

"Your respect?" one of the young lords behind Cedric scoffed. "You cannot even bow to the Emperor. How can you show respect while sitting down like a lazy dog?"

The lords chuckled. Kaelen kept his hands steady on his cane. "My legs do not work, Lord Thomas. The King knows this."

"Do not use your weak legs as an excuse, Kaelen," Cedric said. His voice was loud, intentionally drawing the attention of the nearby nobles. People started to turn around, smiling as they realized a show was about to happen. "A real prince of the Morvath bloodline would find a way to stand. But you were always weak, born from a common maid. You do not have the strength of a true royal."

"I am sorry to disappoint you, brother," Kaelen said softly, lowering his head again. He played his part perfectly, looking like a terrified child.

"You always disappoint me," Cedric muttered. He stepped closer, tilting his silver cup slightly. "Here, you look thirsty. Let me help you."

Cedric made a sudden, clumsy step forward, acting as if he had tripped on the edge of the floor. "Oh!"

The silver cup tilted completely. The dark, boiling hot red wine poured out in a heavy stream, landing right on Kaelen’s lap. The hot liquid soaked through Kaelen’s plain trousers, staining his legs and dripping down onto the wheels of his chair.

The ballroom went completely silent for a second.

Kaelen did not move. He did not scream, because he truly could not feel the heat. His legs were completely dead from the waist down. But visually, he looked completely ruined. The dark red wine looked like blood against his pale clothes.

Cedric let out a loud, fake gasp, though his eyes were full of absolute joy.

"Oh, my apologies, little brother!" Cedric yelled so the entire ballroom could hear him. He turned to the crowd, waving his empty silver cup. "I completely forgot! You cannot feel anything from the waist down anyway, can you? I guess I did not burn you!"

The young lords broke into wild laughter. Slowly, the rest of the ballroom joined in. Countless noble ladies hid their smiles behind their fans, and older lords shook their heads, laughing at the pathetic sight of the fourth prince.

"Look at him," Cedric continued, leaning down so his face was close to Kaelen's. "You look like a wet dog. Go on, call for the maid. Let the servants clean you up like the helpless baby you are."

Kaelen stayed completely still. He kept his head low, allowing his dark hair to fall over his face so no one could see his expression.

"He cannot even speak back," Lord Thomas whispered with a smirk. "Truly a useless creature."

"Let us leave him," Cedric said, turning around with a wave of his hand. "The smell of wet cloth is ruining my wine. Enjoy the rest of the night, little brother. Try not to wet yourself again."

Cedric walked away, his loud laughter bouncing off the walls of the great hall. The nobles turned back to their conversations, quickly forgetting about the ruined prince in the corner.

Underneath his long hair, Kaelen’ He looked at the red wine dripping from his lap onto the floor. He just looked at the backs of the people who were walking away.

Laugh all you want, Kaelen thought to himself. One day, I will make all of you pay for every single laugh.